Bobby Dean Reed

Former Chief of Police of Vienna, Bobby Dean Reed, passed away Thursday, May 23, 2024, at his residence in Vienna at the age of 78. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Tuesday, May 28, 2024 at Smyrna Baptist Church in Dooly County. He will be laid to rest in Lane Cemetery. The family will receive friends Tuesday morning prior to the service beginning at 9:30 a.m. at the church. A highly awarded and recognized man in the State of Georgia, he was a native of Pinehurst and the son of the late Benjamin Dean Reed and Evelyn Juanita Brown Reed. He was also preceded in death by a sister, Patricia A Reed. Bobby started his career in law enforcement in 1971 with the Dekalb County Police Department. In 1975 he returned to South Georgia where he was appointed as Assistant Chief of Vienna Police Department, and then less that a year later he was promoted to and appointed as Chief of Vienna Police Department. His law enforcement career ended after 20 years in 1995 because of health issues. Shortly after in July 1995 he started and grew the government fleet business from its inception at Brannen Motor Company in Unadilla. This position allowed him to stay involved in law enforcement, which he had dedicated his life to, in a different way. He sold fleets of cars to law enforcement agencies across 40 states for 30 years. Bobby officially retired at the age of 78 from Brannen Motor Company. Bobby had many accomplishments throughout his life: President of the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police during his last year in law enforcement; He was honored by the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police as Police Chief of the Year and had an award named in his honor; He was selected in 1994 to be a committee member for President Bill Clinton's Crime Bill Task Force. Reed was flown to Washington D.C. and contributed to the writing of the crime bill; Co-founded the Georgia Law Enforcement Command College at Columbus State University; Received proclamation from 4 different Governors for his contributions in law enforcement; He was honored by WSB Channel 2 News of Atlanta in 1972 as Officer of the Year for the State of Georgia for his acts in the line of duty involving saving a pedestrian that was hit by a car. He was honored by Dekalb County Optimist Club for this act as well; He has been a member of the Free and Accepted Masons for 50 years and was honored for his contributions recently by the Georgia Grand Master of the Free and Accepted Masons. He was a guest speaker at his son, Jamey's Police Academy Graduation in 1993. Bobby was also an active member of Smyrna Baptist Church. He is survived by his wife of 38 years, Brenda Gunn-Reed of Vienna; his children, two sons and their wives, Jeffery and Melissa Reed of Pinehurst and Jamey and Gina Reed of Cordele and a daughter, Cindy and David Smith of Cordele; a brother and his wife, Jimmy David and Beverly Reed of Pinehurst; four grandchildren, Kristen Baker and her husband, Shannon, Ryland Reed, Reese Reed and Nikki Smith; and two great-grandsons, Dawson Baker and Ridge Baker.